Bound Spirit
by Bell Tower
Summary: In an alternate dimension rei, powerful spirit beings wage war with the culma, brutish spirit nomads. The war now comes to earth and the rei must unite with the humans to fend off the culma threat.
1. Chapter 1 Cross Over

It was a day like any other except for the fact that it was summer vacation and my last day as a freshman. FINALLY! The day seemed to go by so slowly. The last five minuets are what killed me the tic toc of the clock on the wall drove me insane. I could not stand sitting down on such a beautiful day, but when that bell rang I was gone. After the last good-byes of the year I darted out of the school and started to walk down the street in front of they school taking in the glorious first day of summer sun.

In the distance I heard my friends yelling a final good-bye to me in the distance. "See ya later Markus!" I waved good-bye and kept walking. That would be the last I saw of them for a while.

The first day of summer is about the only day I enjoy. Summer is a bitter-sweet experience. I love the whole no school part, but it also means that I will not get to see my friends until school starts back up in the fall. I live at a boarding school and my parents live close. So I could walk home every day if I wanted, but during the school year I live at the school and stop by to see my parents on the weekends. This is not the case for my friends. My friends live far away form the school, some not even in the United States. Most of them live at the school during the year and go back home on major holidays and summer vacation. So I have all this time with no work or tests and no friends to share in this grand time of lazyness. In short summer is boring. Every summer is the same I have nothing but free time and nothing to do with it.

There was nothing to do at home besides moms long list of chores. So I thought I would stay outside and enjoy the sun by walking around the pond at the park near my house. After about my sixth or seventh lap around the pond it started to get dark and I decided to go home after one last lap. Mom was most likely worried sick. At night the park's landscape seemed to change. The street lamps stationed around the park made the park cast long shadows across the small patches of light.

Suddenly, the night air became freezing cold and thick. My breathing became heavy. Then a black mist filled the air. As the mist spread across the park and one by one the street lamps went out until there was no light in the park except for the full moon out. I was starting to get scared now so I began to walk faster it was only a little farther to my house. Every few steps I took a look over my shoulder. People talk about that feeling you get when your being followed well it was no longer a feeling. I was being follow by something not someone, I just knew it. From behind me there was a blinding flash of light. I turned to face the source of the light. Across the water of the pond there was a large field of white light floating over the pounds center. The field was a prefect dome shape but then it began to twist and distort it self into ambea like shapes while it continued to flash. After a few seconds a bright red light radiated from the center of the field. Once the red light appeared the chill of the black mist disappeared and it was replaced by a worm almost safe feeling. The red glow became brighter and brighter until a bolt of the light shot out of the circle. The red light traveled up like a shooting star into the night sky and vanished, and the feild became pure white once more.

As soon as the red light vanished the cold came back stronger than ever. From the bright field more black mist poured out over the pond. In the center of the field a shadow like figure formed and stepped forward. Once the shadow stepped out of the white field it took shape. The creature was huge. It stood upright and was a dull grey with large red eyes. It was at lest ten feet tall with arm twice at long as it body but it's legs were short and stubby makeing it stand like an ape. On each shoulder there was a long black spike with a red tip at the end. The creature's eyes narrowed as it began to howl and charge at me. The creature ran like an ape over the water with it long arms pulling it along until it was right in front of me. My eyes met the creatures and I became paralyzed. The creature howled once more and raised its arm to attack. Its strength was enormous, I felt like I was being hit by a truck. After the blow hit I skidded across the ground until I hit a tree. The tree nearly was nearly crushed by the power of the blow.

Streams of blood ran down my face onto my crippled body. Even thought I couldn't move I felt all the intense pain of my broken leg and ribs. The blood was now in my eyes I could no longer see but I heard the creature give a shriek of pleasure. The earth rumbled as the creature moved towards me to continue the onslaught. I tried to scream but I could not, my throat was numbed by my pain. I felt the creature's heavy breath on my face. Now it was all over. But out of the certain death I felt a warmth come down on me like that of the red light. The safe feeling began to ease my fear and the sharp pain of my wounds vanished.

Then out of no where a soothing female voice said quietly "Stand and fight!"


	2. Chapter 2 Burning

The creature slowly moved closer and closer to the base of the tree, evidently oblivious of the crimson light much less its unseen mistress. It just mindlessly continued towards my limp body. The earth shook with each of it steps and I began to lose confidence, but the voice continued to reassure me.

"Markus it cannot harm you, I will make sure of that but you have to help me help you!"

"Anything!"

"Then stand up!"

"Ok I'll try." Slowly I began to stand. I braced myself against a tree and pulled myself to my feet, but I slipped.

"The beast is almost upon you!"

I repositioned myself to stand and slowly with all my pains screaming, and although body protested I stood. Just as a stood the creature loomed over me and opened its mouth wide in a horrible roar. I shuddered, but the voice spoke.

"Markus you cannot doubt yourself, look at it face to face!"

I turned to face the beast and my courage rose. The creature raised its hand for a final blow but I did not look away. Then the creature let its fist fly. Without my consent my hand rose to block the massive hand. With a loud thud my open palm and the creatures closed fist met. But my hand held, and the creature looked as surprised as I did. Then the crimson light surrounded me and the aura grew stronger. Then my hand closed over the creature's fist, it howled in pain but the force controlling my body would not let me let go.

Smoke drifted up from between my hand and the creatures, then fire slowly crept up the beasts arm, the fire then spread into a wide arc of fire. The intense inferno completely consumed the beast. The creature's howls of pain turned to shrill screams. After the flame and smoke dissipated I saw that the creature had stumbled backwards clinching its horribly burned arms. The creature tilted back and forth in its pain. What ever possessed control of my body forced me to stand there looking at the creature. "What is going on?" I began to doubt myself. I was going to die this can't be happening. As soon as doubt entered my mind I began to feel my pain and weakness return. My legs buckled and I started to fall. The female voice spoke and soothed some of my pain.

"Markus stop I can only help you if you have the will to fight, believe or I'll lose control."

"Wait your doing this? What are you?" The creature began to recover and began a charge. Its scorched arm must have been numbed by there pain because the creature aloud it to drag by the way side. Without the mistress empowering me my body couldn't move. I knew what I had to do.

"Ok who ever you are no more doubt. We will win!"

I suddenly lost all feeling, then I felt as though I could never lose. All fear left me, just as the beast approached. Once more I felt the presents of the red light. Now with my unseen savor in control my body acted and did an amazing jump to the right of the creature just in the nick of time. In mid jump my hand was held out with an open palm and a fire ball shoot forth at the creature. The beast didn't even have time to scream as its body skidded across the park. In the trench its body created the creature laid on its side and moaned. I began to run forward and I held my fist high above my head, as I did fire engulfed my hand.

As I approached the creature roared and struggled in the trench it created. Finally I was upon the beast and my flaming fist struck the creature hard skin. The creature's body shivered in pain but it quickly countered and grabbed my arm with its huge hand. The beast stood up and held me above the ground. In my free hand I created a fire ball and slammed it against the creature's forearm. The creature dropped me and when it did a vortex of fire enveloped the creature. The spinning flames trapped the beast. I clinched my fist and the fire vortex closed in on the beast, then an explosion went off on the beast as an attempt to finish it.My body began to shiver. I collapsed on to one knee. I was breathing heavily and my weakness began to drift in.

"What is going on?" After a gasping breath I continued, "I'm not scared we can fight. We're winning!"

"I can't keep this up I have to finish this."

"Wait it's not dead?" The earth shook as the beast ran in a reckless charge. The creature's skin was hanging off its body and one of its eyes was lost in the fire but it continued forward. Its guttural roar sent out a shock wave that hurled me backwards. My body acted alone and tried to slow itself and jump out of the way but the movements were slow and stiff so the roar carried me to the edge of the pound. In a flash the creature was over me and it pounded it fist on to me I screamed but not in my voice. I raised a hand and as I did some of the remaining fire reacted to attempt and shield me. The fire licked at the beast but it did nothing to delay his attack.

The creatures head trusted through the flames with it's mouth open wide, its long fangs bared. I rolled out of the way just before the creatures head crushed down. Smoke began to flare up out of nowhere. I felt myself began to stand and limp out of the smoke.

"Your body has reached its limits I can no longer force you to fight; we must run while I'm still in control."

"What? No we can't that thing could kill who knows how many people! We have to stop it!" My body continued to limp away from the creature within the black smog. "Stop!" With all my willpower I fought to regain control. My body's movement once more became stiff and slowed until finally it stopped.

"Markus please, you will die if we don't leave now!" I felt her trying to regain control but I would not let her. Who ever she was could not make me run anymore. The smoke began to lift and the creature seemed to be reestablishing sight. "Markus…" The smoke was now completely gone and the beast looked my direction. "It seems I have chosen well…"

"What?" At that moment the red aura from before manifested around my body once more, but this time I felt its power not just its comfort. I felt a fire building inside, a fire that nothing could ever extinguish.

"Markus I promise you if we survive this I will tell you every thing." Suddenly fires form all around the battle ground rose up in a blaze. "I will use everything, we will win! But this time we fight as one!" For the first time in the entire encounter I raised my hand. No longer was this unseen mistress controlling me, she was still inside but she guided me with a gentle touch.


	3. Chapter 3 Silver thread

I gazed at what the once beautiful park had become; a wounded battle field. The deep trenches scared the land; fires ignited the trees and smoke clouded out the pale moonlight. The black mist remained in air around the pond. The huge gray ape-like creature out of pure exhaustion and shear pain panted endlessly. It barely managed to stay up right, but its deep red eyes stood strong in there lust for pain and bloodshed. Opposite the beast I stood strong surrounded by intense crimson energies with huge pillars of flame jutting up into the sky.

"Markus, your valor has bought us some time but we still don't have much longer. We have to finish this quickly." I nodded and set my eyes on the creature. My eyes met the creature's eyes and I started the charge. When I began to run the fire from all around the park moved with me. It quickly spread coming up along my sides. The beast trembled; trying to react but the damage it had taken froze it in place. In frustration it roared. It was too late I was now mere feet away from the creature. At this close range the fire acted alone and began to spread more quickly in front of me. The fires superior speed reached the creature a few seconds before I did. The flames crawled up the beast and scorched the ragged body further.

"Strike now Markus!"

With my savor's guidance I leapt from the earth and landed my fist square between the monsters eyes. Then I pushed off its head with my feet jumping backwards, and as I did a pillar of flame erupted from blow the beast, encircling its massive form. The pillar stretched beyond the skies, and only subsided when I landed. "It is done." The voice concluded.

The hallow husk of the creature was all that was left, and even it began to decompose. The fight was finally over. Suddenly I fell to the ground all my power and energy left me. With my sudden exhaustion all the fire in the park seemed to mirror my condition and quickly withered as I did. The crimson aura disappeared and the black mist drifted back to me. My breath became harsh from the presence of the mist once more and all the pain and weakness returned. I looked up at the withered husk the creature left, something was happening. The mist condensed around the creature's shell and veiled it form sigh. The earth shook and a sickly light peered through the mass of mist. The shape of the mist shifted and contorted itself, began to spin then slowly vanished.

Within the mist something was moving. Large red eyes glared at me and a deep haunting familiar howl came for within the remaining mist. The creature was reborn of the mist. A hideous barking laugh escaped the creature's mouth. It knew this would happen the entire time. The beast stepped forward and continued laughing.

"Markus I'm sorry…" Her voice once held an air of infinite wisdom and power now struggled to tell me those few words. I sensed she tried to say more back her power dwindled and her presents become faint.

I tried to move but all I could manage was to raise my torso off the ground a few inches. As soon as the creature detected movement he inhaled and let out a terrible roar that flung my body backward like a rag doll. I skidded along the ground falling into one of the many scorched trenches from the pervious battle. The ground rumbled with each step the beast took towards me. It was in no hurry even it saw that this was coming to an end. I could do nothing to stop the creature. I even struggled to keep my eyes open; I would not give this thing the pleasure of seeing me blackout.

The creature was now in my sight. It was ready to kill without a thought. Then the creature grunted and its right arm slowly rose to its side. It seemed to be trying to pull its arm out of the air. It struggled trying to pull at its invisible snare. With in seconds the other arm became victim to the same affect. Then both of the beast's stubbly legs were simultaneously pulled out to its sides; bringing it to its knees. The creature hung there with its arms and legs stretched out to it sides. It twisted and pulled in frustration but could not get loose but it would not give up. It continued to howl and struggle, and in the beasts thrashing the light caught the very thing that entrapped the creature. Thin silver threads bound the beast.

The moon also revealed another thread slowly lowering over the creatures head. In the beasts rage it couldn't notice the last thread. Finally the thread reached the beast's head and its thrashing caused it to become tangled around the creature's thick neck. Without warning all the threads pulled tight completely immobilizing the monster. I couldn't believe my eyes. A person jumped in fount of the trapped creature. She was tall and had long black hair with pale skin. She whore a black jacket and dark blue jeans. I didn't know who she was but I couldn't let her stay here it was too dangerous. I had to warn her.

"Run get out of here!" She acknowledged my warning with a brief glance in my direction. Her strange gray eye's paralyzed me, haunted me. She quickly returned to the task at hand. Once again facing the monster she brought her right arm in front of her chest. After muttering a few inaudible words a dark aura slowly engulfed her right hand and solidifying around it. She waved her hand revealing a black glove, and in the light of the moon I saw one silver thread extending from each finger. With a few swift hand movements the threads grazed over the trapped monster, and then she casually brought her hand down to her side. Right as she rested her hand thousands of long thin cuts appeared all over the black skin of the creature. Scarlet fluid drained out of it body. She was doing it; she was winning. Even in all its evident pain, the creature seemed to be smiling. My eyes grew wide the creature knew what was about to happen.

"Wait,-"before I could finish her cautioning her she leapt at the beast. In mid air she tensed her gloved hand and the long silver threads retracted within the glove. Then with her gloved hand she readied a punch, but before it hit its mark the girl vanished. The creature looked confused. Out of the shadows behind the beast I caught a quick glimpse of silver. Suddenly the girl stood in front of me, looking down over my pathetic body. Looking past her I saw that the beast stopped moving. Then without warning the creature's body was covered all over with thousands upon thousands of slash marks. Blood dripped in a never ending stream over the lacerated body. Then it just vanished…. There was no trace, it was just gone. Looking up at the girl in astonishment I slowly blacked out. Sleep was welcomed, as all my pain melted away.


	4. Chapter 4 Insanity

A loud beeping noise clawed its way into my ears. The rapid high pitch sound rang over and over refusing to give up until I woke. My eye lids complied and opened. A pale off-white color filled my vision. I have always hated the color of my room and… Wait my room? The scene in the park sped through my mind. The creature's massive form encompassed my thought. Deep red orange fire burned brightly through out my mind. Last the girl was there, her cool eyes and that black glove… I got up out of bed and while rubbing my head. In my mirror hanging over my dresser I saw my brown hair sprawled out in a standard bed head fashion. Wait it was a dream? Searching all over my body I could not find a single cut, bruise, or any blood dried or other wise. Glancing around my room everything looked ok. My room was as I left it before school the pervious day.

Almost laughing out loud to reassure my self I said," What a nightmare…it was so real."

I froze. A presence filled my room overwhelming all of my senses. My sight went black; I could no longer hear I had lost all feeling. I fell to the floor under this great force that was now in my room. Then replacing all that overwhelmed me was a familiar warm reassuring feeling. My eyes slowly opened and recovered from the huge shock. Once I tried to stand I realized how tired I had become in that short time. Now on my feet a voice faintly whispered in my ear.

Still frightened I quickly looked around my room looking for the source of the voice all the while the voice continued calmly whispering inaudible words. I was becoming frantic. I fell to my knee partly because I thought I was going crazy but mostly because my legs could no longer support my weight. I was just about to scream when the quiet voice suddenly became known and spoke to me. She spoke forcefully with infinite wisdom and experience.

"Markus, please calm down."

I started laughing, "I am crazy." I burst into a second fit of laughter. "I mean listen to me I-"I couldn't finish that sentence. Almost like a slap in the face the powerful force returned. I had to push back with all my strength to keep my body from slamming into the ground. Still under the intense pressure, the voice spoke and it clicked. This person speaking was the women form my dream who saved my life.

"Please don't force my hand."

This time when she spoke she sounded more distant. Coming to understand the situation I relaxed and the pressure lifted. I sighed. This wasn't going to go away. Taking deep breaths to calm myself I began talking to the voice of my insanity.

"Ok and I can't believe I'm saying this, listen who ever you are. If this is all real and I'm not going crazy you told me that you would explain everything…"

Thinking back to what I thought was a dream I recalled the promised the unseen women made near the end of the battle. I couldn't believe the words were leaving my mouth.

"First of all who are you, better yet what are you."

The silence echoed throughout my room. In the silences I jumped at the faint noise of the garage rising. Mom worked during my summer break and left for work in the morning. With the sound of the car out of ear shot it spoke quietly to me.

"Markus there are so many things you need to know." The voice hesitated without words as if taking a breath. "I am Aura a rei of the Kingdom of Iradris." I was intent on listening yet my eyes continued to dart a round the room looking for the speaker. As if reading my mind Aura said, "Very well Markus I will show myself to you."

Nothing was happening. I half expected my room to burst into flames and the speaker to appear from the ashes. But nothing…the voice spoke but form the sound of it she was right behind me.

"Nice to finally meet you face to face Markus."

I whirled around searching for the voice. My eyes followed a faint glow coming form the center of my bed and I saw her. A small fox the color of a bright flame was sitting on my bed. The fox had the look of a normal fox with two exceptions. Its tail flowed and moved with the consistency of fire. It slowly fluctuated up and down swayed side to side. Last and perhaps the most stunning feature of the small creature were its eyes. Thin ebony slits formed the pupils and different shades of crimson were woven together with slight traces of gold to form the colored iris. I wanted to stare slack jawed with my eyes wide but since I still had doubts that I was not going crazy I decided to nod and not slow things down.

"As I was saying my name is Aura." Her voice was now much clearer and easier to understand. "I am a being from another realm or dimension. My home is the great Kingdom of Iradris. My kind has many names but here we are known as rei." Aura paused as if waiting for some sort of response. Seeing that I was completely dumfounded she continued with a bit of a laugh, "First and for most your so called nightmare was very real. What you saw was not only my cross over into your world but the culma's breach into your world as well, he must have followed me…" After that short explanation Aura seemed lost in deep thought and by the look on her face it worried her greatly.

Trying to ease the awkward moment, as if speaking to a self proclaimed spirit being wasn't awkward enough, I asked "Culma?" Aura's tiny head snapped to attention, her eyes instantly focused.

"The culma was the creature that attacked you...us rather. The culma are nomads that roam between the realms having no home of their own they travel to other dimensions and attempt to take them as their own. Currently my home land is under siege from the culma, but because Iradris's defenses are strong few can breach into the kingdom and if the vile creatures do come through they are dealt with swiftly. Recently however the culma have been forcing their way into Iradris by causing chaos in other realms weakening the dimensional barriers. I am an agent sent to stop the culma's advance."

Slowly piecing Aura's story together I nodded. I still had doubts about my sanity but I found it hard to argue with someone who apparently had the power to crush me with a whim. My body still ached form the last assault. "So now that you have destroyed the culma you can leave, right?" Aura's eyes narrowed. For the first time Aura seem irritated but she quickly gathered herself and became peaceful once more. What looked like a smile crossed her face.

"I don't recall destroying the beast, if I can remember correctly that strange girl finished it off. We were on the ground, helpless."

My face became red, my eyes squinted in anger. Aura seemed not to notice. "You know what I don't recall! I don't recall you being pummeled by that thing!" Aura twitched, her beautiful eyes became a dark deep red and the bright energy flowing around her did the same.

"You ungrateful human! If it wasn't for my guidance and power you would have received a fate worst then your realms earthly death."

"If you hate me and my kind so much then leave! I'm just going crazy anyway it's not like your really here anyway." Aura seemed to realize that she overstepped her boundaries and she waned her anger. Aura may have calmed down but I had not. Aura spoke, her voice was so soothing.

"Markus for the last time this is all real. Everything I told you is true" Her voice trailed off and became quiet. "After what happened at the park last night I couldn't leave if I wanted to."


End file.
